Patrick Hamilton Elementary is among 23 schools in the state that will soon have two new water fountains/bottle filling stations thanks to the Delta Dental Foundation.

Patrick Hamilton was among the winners of the DDF’s $100,000 “Rethink Your Drink: Water’s Cool at School” program, designed to encourage children to drink more water during the school day.

“We are thrilled to win this prize,” said Principal Heather Nash.  “This will be a great addition to our school building.  We love the fact that each student and staff member will be able to have fresh water to drink all day long.”

As part of their prize package, Patrick Hamilton also received reusable water bottles for students and staff as well as funding to design and implement a campaign to encourage students to drink more water during the school day.

“The Delta Dental Foundation is pleased to fund this program,” said Teri Battaglieri, Delta Dental Foundation director. “Water is critical to maintaining good oral health and when children choose water over sugar-sweetened beverages, they can reduce incidents of tooth decay, the most common chronic childhood illness in the U.S.

“We congratulate Patrick Hamilton on their award and hope this program helps the student body and staff see the benefits of drinking water regularly. Not only do one out of three children face obesity due to consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, but drinking soda pop nearly doubles the risk of cavities in children.”

The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina. The foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science, and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs.

For more information, visit deltadentalmi.com.